


More than a pretty face

by Blank_Is_typing



Series: The story of 9 [5]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, Hwang Hyunjin-centric, Light Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-03-08
Updated: 2019-05-24
Packaged: 2019-11-06 09:46:30
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17937467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Blank_Is_typing/pseuds/Blank_Is_typing
Summary: hyunjin never saw the term "visual" as a compliment.





	1. Chapter 1

_Handsome_.

God, did Hyunjin hate that word. In fact, he hated any complements he would get about his appearance.

He hated that he was destined to be a "Visual" he wanted more. 

Everyone always told him that he didn't need to work so hard, he had a guaranteed position of visual.

But he didn't want to be known for his looks, he never wants to be.

What he wants is to be taken seriously. To make music that can touch people and give his prying relatives something to compliment him on, other than how good looking he turned out.

That's why he worked his ass off to improve his dancing, why he avoided anything regarding looks. Others thought it made him look arrogant, maybe he just doesn't want to get treated like a test subject.

Sometimes he wishes he was born with average looks, maybe even ugly, that he looked like every other 18 year old Korean out there. He was too pale and his lips were too small, he didn't want to be what people strive to be like, he wanted to be himself.

 That's probably why some part of him felt happy when people told him he looked anything but good. 

like the one time he had 2 minutes to get to class and looked like a complete mess. 

Or the time he ate right before vocal lessons and everyone said he looked weird bloated. 

And there was the time he bruised the corners of his lips because he bit down too hard on a pen while practicing his raps.

In a way, it was fun, he finally got to see what he was lacking and what he could do better, and that drive to become more skilled took effects on his health, that he wasn't necessarily mad at. 

 When he looked into the studio mirrors late at night and saw his swollen lips, messy hair, and dark circles under his eyes he broke out into a smile.

He looked horrible, and he loved it. The teachers gave him more critiques, that were based on technique and how to improve. 

If he wasn't pretty, he could be more.

The most critiques he got were on his dance. So, guess who stayed at the dance studio until his legs give out. It wasn't a pretty sight, but he needed the work. 

Though, he failed to realize that a certain hyung of his was falling back into his old habits. So when he fell to the ground, Lee Minho running in and crouching next to him wasn't what he expected.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his eyes growing more concerned the more he examined him.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just working on my routine for evaluation." he said, trying to stand up. 

Minho pushed him back down,"You look horrible, what's wrong."

"You know when people think that you can do anything easily?"

"All the time, is that why you look like you got hit with a bus?"

He nodded,"I'm tired of being just handsome, this was the only way I could let them see  _me._ "

Minho shook his head,"but you need to take care of yourself."

"But then things will go back to normal," He sighed.

"We're our own harshest critics anyway, so if you're satisfied other people will be too."

"Thanks hyung."

He smiled,"No problem, go home and get some rest. Don't tell Chan I was here this late."

Hyunjin crossed his heart, jokingly, and went home as instructed.

As he healed and his body went back to normal, he did get those same "complements." But he was happy with himself and that's all he could ask.  

 


	2. Chapter 2

Dancers, it was only the dancers that got eliminated. Minho and Felix were better than him by a huge margin, so having the current title of the best dancer scared him. 

So he worked on his rapping to no end in the mornings and his dance all the way up until their 5 am meetings. 

He sat in the corner, practicing his rapping forwards and backwards until he got those familiar marks on his lips again. 

Bruises on his knees kept forming from when he hit the ground a little too hard for his liking, it probably didn't help that he did the move again immediately wincing in pain.

"Hyunjin ah, that's the 3rd shirt that's practically falling off of you." The stylists called out as they were dressing him for the show.

Chan immediately perked up at that.His full attention on his dongseng.

"Sorry noona," Hyunjin sighed,"I think it's stress."

"You should take the night off and let those bruises heal too, can't have our visual looking so beat up." She said this as a joke but Hyunjin smiled at that comment when she turned her back. Now he could see if he was only here for his looks or not. 

When they were given a break Chan pulled Hyunjin aside,"Are you okay?" 

Hyunjin nodded,"Of course hyung, this show has made everyone a little stressed."

Chan just nodded and left him alone after that.

* * *

 

It was another late night, as usual but instead of going to 5am, his leader burst in at around 11:30 pm. "Hyunjin, you should be home."

He paused the music ad grabbed his things, there was no point in arguing,"Then why are you here?"

"Because I was working on something but I figured you were still here." He said gesturing for him to walk out the door.

Hyunjin stumbled a bit when he put his backpack on, his body suddenly feeling a little too light. 

"When the last time you ate?" Chan asked, opening the door for him.

"uh, this morning," he said, even he knew that was too long.

"The restaurant across from the dorm should be open." Chan said, as they made the short walk home.

 Once hyunjin had eaten about half of his food Chan finally asked him about his behavior,"What's been going on with you these days?"

"Two thirds of our main dancers are gone, I don't want to be next. But I also don't want to stay for the sole reason that I'm a visual." He sighed. "The best way to solve both those problems was to over work myself, it worked when I was a trainee."

Chan raised an eyebrow,"You've done this before?"

"Minho found me but guess what? He's not here!" he said, slightly aggravated.

  "I promise you, we're going to debut together." Chan said reassuringly.

"How? Chan?" he scoffed,"We have one episode left, and that's it, after that, we debut."

"Trust me," He said calmly.

"I'm going back to being just a visual within the company," he said verbally but what he meant was,'I really hope you know what you're doing.'  

"You are definitely more than just a visual. Sure, that's how you go in, but you're a main dancer and rapper, you did that in a year. JYP would be crazy to eliminate you.

* * *

 

Hyunjin looked over at Chan as relief flooded through him at the sight of Minho and Felix in front of him. 

He learned that maybe he shouldn't question his leader as much. 

"Nine or none," was all Chan said before going to hug Minho and Felix.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Wow... It's been a while hasn't it.


End file.
